Half Prey
by Devianta
Summary: Skulker finally catches Danny, makes a bet with the Box Ghost, and is in for a surprise. Oneshot, more or less
1. Chapter 1

Half Prey

At long last, I had caught him! It had taken ages, but I did it. He lay before me in all his childish glory. Ectoplasm, his ectoplasm, dripped down his neck sluggishly from the gash on his throat where I had cut him, the death blow. His white hair was matted, his usually coffee colored skin pale. His black and white jump suit was torn in several places revealing more cuts and bruise marks that I inflicted upon him. May I also say that it felt good to do it? At long last it was I, Skulker, who had had the upper hand. Now he lay before me. I stood over him, victorious, reveling in the feeling of triumph and accomplishment. None of the other ghosts had been able to pull it off. I did. Now I shall finally rest his pelt at the foot of my bed. Of course, I'll show it off to the other ghosts and, you know, rub it in their faces first. Then, each morning as I rise, I shall step on his skin and know that I truly am the best hunter in all the ghost zone.

What's that? You want to hear how I did it? Well let me tell you…

-End Chapter One/prologue-

I looked at the walls and floor of my home. I wish I could say they were covered with the pelts of my victims, but if I did I would be lying. The truth is, they were bare. Not a thing hung on them. They were mere stonewalls, completely blank and unadorned. Actually, that was a lie too. They were adorned… with moss! I couldn't remember the last time I had cleaned them! I had become so obsessed with… him.

Ever since I first saw him I knew I needed to add him to my collection. My beautiful collection of rare and simply bizarre things required him to be complete. Thus, I set off on a quest to acquire him. But all my attempts ended in miserable failure. I couldn't catch him. Due to this, I laid off for a while and practiced. After a while I returned and tried again. I failed. And so a cycle was created, formed of trials and errors.

However, today I knew I had to succeed. Today, nothing would stop me. I would finally capture him, skin him, and place his pelt at the foot of my bed for all to see! He would be mine. Today, I would capture and defeat Danny Phantom!

-End chapter 2-

I picked up my usual hunting gear and few of my newer inventions. I then placed my "Enter my lair and I shall eat you for dinner" sign at the entrance of my lair to discourage passer-bys from entering. With these things done I took off for the Fenton's portal.

As I flew over my island I admired its beauty. The grass was greener than any you could find in the humans' world. The trees were tall, their limbs branching out to form shade for prey to hide in. A waterfall dumped millions of gallons of water into a lake at the center of the island. It was a magnificent sight. An island truly worthy of…

"I am the Box Ghost!"

I came to a screeching halt. Looking over I saw a plump, blue ghost in overalls hovering in midair, waving his arms about. I sighed. He just had to interrupt me in my self-praise pride-bolstering speech. Oh, well. Now I can bring back two skins to adorn my lair with.

"I am the Box Ghost! Where are you going?"

In answer I aimed my rocket launcher at him. When it was locked on to him, I fired. He dodged.

"Ha! You can not hit me for I am the Box Ghost…"

I fired again. Once more, he dodged. My jaw dropped. I'd figured it was a fluke the first time. But he managed to dodge my attacks twice! From what I remember, the Box Ghost could not dodge a turtle! How was this happening?

"Tell me Box Ghost, how are you managing to dodge me? You're slower than a turtle, more ungainly than a drunk sailor, stupider than a dead…"

"Hey! Who are you calling stupid? I am the Box…"

This time I managed to hit him. I watched as he went flying backwards. It was a calming sight. There is nothing more relaxing than hitting the Box Ghost. I flew up to him so that I may catch him. However, he had already regained his composure and was preparing for another rant.

"Look Box Ghost, I am on my way to capture the Ghost Child. I don't have time for you. Either you fly off and annoy someone else or I shall skin you. Make your choice."

He started laughing. "You capture Danny Phantom? You couldn't capture a rock! I am the Box Ghost…"

I hit him again. "Fine! I gave you a chance to escape but if you insist on insulting me…"

"Why don't I make you a bet?"

"What?", I asked confused. I didn't know the Box Ghost was the gambling type.

"Yes, a bet! But beware, for the Box Ghost never loses a bet!"

"Interesting. I didn't think the gambling type. Very well, what is your bet?"

"I, the Box Ghost, bet that you will not be able to skin Danny Phantom."

"Oh, please. If you are going to make a bet, why not make it one that you can actually win? I will capture and skin the ghost boy. There is nothing to stop me from doing it this time!"

"So then do we have a deal? If I win then you have to give me all of your boxes…"

"And if I win then I shall have your pelt. Deal?"

We shook hands on it. Then I blasted him and flew on towards my destination and my trophy.

-End chapter three-

There were no further interruptions during my flight. Once there, I snuck through it and into the human world. My first sight was that of the ghost child's family's lab. It was messy as always. Ectoplasm was splashed on the walls. Beakers were overturned. Various inventions lay strewn across the floor. I sniffed the air. And there was the distinct odor of burnt food wafting about. Apparently the father had been down here, oh, about ten minutes ago. I could not smell my prey so he must not be home. Perfect. It would be unfortunate if I had to fight him here. There were too many potentially dangerous items he could use in this room. I needed a better arena for what I had planned.

I turned intangible and flew up and out of the room. The world outside of the house was dark. A full moon hung benignly in the sky. Stars crowded around it like small children begging an adult for a treat. Well, hopefully the moon will treat me tonight. Looking down I saw streetlights lighting up roads and houses huddled in the darkness behind them. A dog barked forlornly but no other sounds were made. It was the perfect night for this hunt.

I activated my night-vision goggles. I then turned on my ecto-seeker so that I may track my elusive prey. It automatically started beeping. He was close. It won't be long now.

The wind picked up suddenly. I sniffed it. It carried his scent! I turned towards the east and started flying. In the distance I could see a white light dancing in the air. It moved back and forth, then in a loop-de-loop. The light dove beneath the surface of a lake before reappearing, shooting up into the sky, twirling around in a circle like a top then falling back into the lake. That was him, the light. His ghostly glow had always been abnormally bright. Nobody knew why. It really should not though. After all, he was only half ghost. Yet his glow was brighter, his attacks stronger, his list of abilities growing longer with each passing month. He was a phenomenon, a creature of great mystery that I must add to my collection.

"Enjoy your last flight, prey. This will be the last time you taste freedom."

I crept closer and hid in the forest surrounding the lake. My timing needed to be flawless. If he knew of my presence too soon he will be able to prepare himself and I will lose my element of surprise. If I am too late he might get away. I also needed to keep out of range of his ghost sense, which notifies him of any nearby ghosts. By hiding just out of range I was hoping to attack him unawares then finish him off. Hopefully everything would go according to plan.

So far it was going exactly as I had hoped. He was still flying around aimlessly over the lake. He flipped this way, that way, turning and looping in intricate patterns. Well, they were not really patterns. They seemed pretty random. But then again maybe there was some sort of purpose or pattern that I could not divine. Oh, whatever. I did not have time for this speculation any way. I needed to focus or I would lose my chance at capturing him and I would lose that ridiculous bet to the Box Ghost!

I watched intently as the Ghost Boy twirled up into the air. I had decided that this was the time when he would be most vulnerable. It was also the time when he seemed to be the stillest since he would always pause after he was done spinning before falling back into the water. It was now or never.

Boom! My missile made contact with his body and sent him flying back into the lake. I flew as fast as I could to the spot. He was just coming back up when I swooped down and snatched him up. Holding him at arms length I switched open my carving blade.

"Good bye, Ghost Child."

He opened his mouth to say something but he never got to. My blade met his neck. My hunt was over.

-end chapter four-

At first I could barely believe it. I was stunned. There he was in my hand, as limp as a rag doll. His eyes were closed and his jaw slack. He was motionless. He didn't even breathe. I had never seen him so still before, not even in his sleep. The boy had always been moving in one way or another. Now he was still.

For a moment I was confused as to why he had not reverted to his human form. Normally when he was knocked out or if he ran out of energy he would change back. So if he was dead should this change not take place? I waited for a moment figuring that maybe there was some delay. A minute passed and nothing happened. In the end I put it down to some sort of death grip he had formed on this particular mode of existence. Who cared anyway? I finally had my trophy!

I pulled out my net and tossed his body in. Slinging it over my shoulder I flew back the way I had come. Puzzlement and shock were soon replaced by an ecstatic thrill. My dream had come true. My scheming and hard work had finally come to fruition. At long last his pelt would rest at the foot of my bed.

The wind was calm. The sky was clear. Thousands of stars glittered like gems and diamonds. The moon shined brighter than it ever had before. It did not occur to me at the time, but I think it was glowing red.

This would bring us back to the beginning. That was how I captured Danny Phantom. Are you impressed? Of course you are! Who could not be impressed with me, Skulker, ghost zone's greatest hunter?

Now let's see… I need to get my tools so that I can make my prize more presentable and usable. He certainly will not do the way he is now. Where did I put that thing?

Here it is! Why I continue to put it under my bed is beyond me.

Bzzt!

Huh?

Bzzztttt!!!!

"What the…" He's glowing?! He is supposed to be dead! Why is he glowing and… healing?!

"Uhhh…" Uh, oh. "Skulker? Oh, right! I forgot to tell you! I can speed heal now. Want proof?" This is going to hurt. And here comes the rock wall and, yep, that hurt. Man that kid punches hard. And, oh crap, he is getting away! There's still time. I can still catch him!

Aim and fi…

"I am the Box Ghost!" And he's gone. "Beware! For I have come to claim my prize! Hand over all your boxes!"

Well, I could just hit the Box Ghost in stead since I've gone through all the trouble of activating my rocket launcher. I still need a pelt on my wall and I know for a fact that the Box Ghost does not have speed healing.

"I am the… ah! How dare you… Ouch! Stop… the pain!"

Yep, hitting the Box Ghost is definitely relaxing.


	2. Revised Ending

A/N: I don't know if this is any better than the previous ending. I am hoping that it is. In any case, here it is in all it's fanfictiony glory. Read and review people or I will send the Box Ghost for you! Beware! looks around Sorry. I couldn't resist. Anyway, here it is. I hope you enjoy it. Blah, blah, blah. Let the curtain rise!

* * *

Ch.4 Half Prey Rewritten

That is how I captured and killed Danny Phantom. Impressed? Of, course you are! Who wouldn't be impressed with me, Skulker, Ghost Zone's Greatest Hunter? I practically rule this realm! I can capture any ghost, a fact that I just proved. Nobody could truly capture the ghost child, but I just did. He now lies here before me, dead. He is gone, forever.

I picked up my skinning kit. I opened it and began placing the necessary tools on the table beside the child's corpse. I placed them in the order in which I would need them. I wanted to get this over with fast. I have waited too long for this moment. I wanted to savor it but only after his pelt was resting at the foot of my bed.

I stopped at this thought. Why was I so nervous? I glanced at the corpse. He could not come back. He was dead. Gone. History. I felt him draw his last breath. I watched his eyes glaze over and roll back in his head. I felt him shudder for the last time and still. He was dead!

I growled at myself in frustration for my needless anxiety. I turned away to get the draining tray. I was being foolish. He was dead and he could not come back. See, my back is turned and nothing has happened. There is no reason to worry. Hey, this was a time of celebration! With the ghost child gone the human world was wide open. Plus, the Box Ghost had lost the bet. That meant two skins for the price of one. Two new decorations for the lair! A world of pelts for the death of one child. This was a day to remember.

Bzzt! Bzzzzzzzzzzzt!

"What in the…"

I turned around to find out what was making the buzzing noise. It was at this moment that I discovered that gut feelings could sometimes be right.

Before me lied the ghost child except, unlike before, he was moving. His body shuddered as white sparks crept up and down his small form. He was gasping, groaning, and whimpering, as the unusual force that greatly resembled lightning restored him. I stood in awe and fear at the strange, yet beautiful, spectacle. I would have moved to stop it but I was frozen, transfixed. All I could do was stare.

After about three minutes it stopped. He lied still for a moment before coughing a few times and rolling over onto his stomach. He lifted his head, glanced around, and noticed me. He smiled. His eyes brightened in amusement. I continued to stare like a deer in headlights. My mouth hung open. I then opened and closed it like a fish as I tried to come up with words to both ask and comment on the sight that I just witnessed. The child laughed at my attempts at speech.

"Hey, Skulker" he giggled, "Did I tell you I have speed healing now? I forgot?! Well, now you know. By the way, you should decide what you want to be, a fish or a deer. I don't really think you can be both."

He swung his legs over the side of the table. The boy sat there and kicked his legs back and forth. He looked around. Noticing the tools on the table, he picked a few up and examined them.

"Were you going to use these on me?"

I didn't answer.

"I'll take that as a yes," the boy got up and started walking around the room. He barely paid any mind to me. I was still trying to gather my wits. He was dead a second ago! I saw him. He was dead! Now he was walking around my lair casually like he was taking a walk in the park. My prey was alive again. "You know, I expected your lair to be covered with stuff. It looks like a cave man's home." He turned to me.

"It does not," was all I could come up with. "You… You were dead. How did you come back?"

He doubled over with laughter. I growled but he only laughed harder. I extended my blade and pointed it at his face.

"Look, child. I know you were dead. You stopped breathing. I felt it. Your heart stopped beating. Your eyes rolled back. You died. I want you to tell me, how did you come back!"

"I didn't die. Didn't you hear me? I said I speed healed. I have that power. I don't need to breath in ghost form. I do it out of habit. My heart beats because I want it to. My eyes rolled back from shock and because your attempt was so predictable."

"What?! What do you mean?"

He pointed to the entrance of the lair where the Box Ghost hovered annoyingly.

"I am the Box Ghost! And beware for you have lost the bet. Now I shall rid you of all your square containers and other cardboard objects! I am the Box Ghost!"

"And now I shall leave you two alone to settle this, but first…"

He drew back his fist and punched me in the face. He then rubbed his hand casually and shrugged.

"That never fails to make me feel better." The ghost child floated up then flew through my entrance. He zipped away as if he had only paid a visit to me rather than the truth, that I had brought him here believing he was dead. I watched as he drifted off into the distance and disappeared. I was alone with the Box Ghost.

"Told ya so."

"How did you know that would happen?"

"He told me," the obnoxious overall clad spirit giggled.

"He told you he had speed healing?"

"Yep, him and I set this up."

"Why?"

"Because I am the Box Ghost! Beware!"


End file.
